Co-design of innovative rural community placements to positively impact student learning and workforce: Insights from a University of Department Health

Intended aims or outcomes:

Aboriginal health, early childhood intervention, chronic care, mental health and disability are recognised areas of need for rural heath workforce. These needs are compounded by changes in the service landscape resulting from commissioned services under Primary Health Networks and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Workplace learning models and curriculum are not always agile enough to adapt to these changes which present challenges for accessing clinical placement and supervision, especially for allied health. We have engaged with service providers across our footprint to co-design, deliver and evaluate student placement models that encompass interprofessional learning, service learning, shared and remote supervision, and virtual models of care using telehealth.

Our vision encompasses community immersion and partnerships alongside a specifically designed student engagement strategy that positively influences rural intention to influence rural recruitment and retention through positive engagement and experiences. Factors to sustain high quality student placements and community partnerships will be explored alongside our early evaluation framework to identify and evidence impact at different levels.